


Flattering

by koropendora



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Gen, I am very sorry, M/M, Manga Spoilers, spoilers for chapters 100+
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-08
Updated: 2015-04-08
Packaged: 2018-03-20 02:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3632808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koropendora/pseuds/koropendora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zeno tries to make Shin-Ah more comfortable with his powers. They both mess up a bit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flattering

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this mostly for my boyfriend; my own take on a setting we were mulling over a few weeks ago. Half weird, half fluff. This is quite different from his version, lol...
> 
> This has spoilers from chapters 100~103. Tread carefully I guess.
> 
> Also, uh, this is technically ShinZeno but i'm 99% sure it can be read as Gen?

He's not sure how this situation came to be, but there he was, looking down at the smaller yellow dragon. His hands hover over his mask, hesitating, while the other boy stares back at him, expecting some kind of movement.

Shin-Ah tries to rethink the conversation before _this_ , searching for some escape route he might have missed. They had been talking about Zeno, he remembers - in specific, though, about his powers. The yellow dragon explained, for what was maybe the fifteenth time in the past three days, that he's incapable of getting hurt, or dying, so would you please stop trying to protect him? More importantly, he'd wanted to know how the other three were doing.

He always seemed to avoid talking about himself, in a way.

Although Jae-Ha and Kija had nothing new to report, as their bodies were back to functioning as normal, Shin-Ah didn't give a clear answer (but that was normal for him, wasn't it?). Yona might have helped him that time he lost control, but... it was still scary, sometimes.

So, Zeno had a brilliant idea, and here they were - a ways away from camp, while Yona, Hak and Kija went out to do _something_ , he doesn't even remember what. Shin-Ah isn't even sure why he agreed to this anymore. But something about Zeno's confidence, about the way he looked at Shin-Ah and spoke without a drop of hesitance, made him feel trustworthy.

 _Zeno won't die, so it's fine if Seiryuu uses him for training, so he can trust his own powers, you know!_ He had said it, this morning. But many minutes passed and Shin-Ah was standing still, not daring to move his mask from his own face.

After a few more moments, Zeno blinks, followed by an exaggerated pout. "It's fine if Seiryuu doesn't want to do it! Zeno would like to be able to see his eyes, but if he's not ready yet then they could just go back."

He considers it. Yona is always moving forward, even despite her fear; he should be able to do so, too. It's Zeno, after all - if he couldn't bring himself to devour Yona, then Zeno should be the same. Zeno guarantees he won't get hurt, and maybe he won't even lose control, this time. Maybe he can do it.

So Shin-Ah takes a deep breath, and his hand finally makes contact with the mask. Just that simple movement has a strange feeling of finality, for both of them - they're going ahead with it.

The mask came off in one quick movement; Shin-Ah looked straight into the other boy's eyes, and for a moment it almost felt like Zeno had already been paralyzed. His smile faltered, his near-permanent cheerful expression changes to... Surprise? Fear?

 _Of course, they're the same_ , Zeno thought to himself. Shin-Ah's now unobscured eyebrows raised in a silent question, that was answered by the other boy shaking his head and bringing back the smile.

This time, it seemed different from the smile Zeno always carried. It made him look so much more distant.

But Zeno wasn't distant, not at all. In fact, he seemed to be closer than he had ever been. The dragon's eyes could see everything; the slight movements of Zeno's chest as he breathes in and out, the way the muscles on his hands tensed slightly as his fingers curled into his palm, the blood flowing from his heart and to the rest of his body--

No, no, Shin-Ah had to concentrate. He's done it before; he could ignore the darkness. He should start with something simple, concentrate just in one part of him, pretend the rest of Zeno wasn't there, small and expectant, tempting him.

First, he takes Zeno's hand, watches as the little movements he had been making stop. Zeno breaks eye contact for a second to look at his own hand, and although Shin-Ah can't figure out what kind of emotion he's expressing, it's not fear.

He knows fear; he's struck it into countless men before. Fear is shaking, screaming, wide eyes, crying, raw emotion. Zeno does none of those things. He just shrugs and looks back at Shin-Ah, as if asking for more.

More he shall have.

He stops the rest of Zeno's arm, up to the shoulder. The image of Zeno, still and bloody and lifeless in Yona's arms, flashes through his mind, but instead of scaring him, it just pushes him further. Even after his body had been chopped in five different places, after both his arms and his head and his organs had been separated from each other, Zeno still came back, stronger than ever. So he had nothing to fear. Shin-Ah himself, he had nothing to fear.

Neither of them broke eye contact again. Zeno was making this too easy, allowing Shin-Ah to use the blue dragon's eyes on him, inviting him to use his body in whatever way he liked. It was so, so easy.

Even then, he didn't seem fazed by it at all. Even as his head had been severed by a blade, that time, Zeno just seemed confident and powerful. Shin-Ah wondered, what would it take to actually bring fear to the little dragon's heart?

He devoured-- no, no, paralyzed -- Zeno's other arm, and almost sneered at how helpless he looked from his eyes. Except Zeno's smile did not falter, even for a second.

He really wasn't afraid of Shin-Ah, was he? Not even a bit. Who does he think he is? Were the dragons not made equal? Was Zeno superior to him somehow? No... No, Zeno looked so small. Shin-Ah was sure he could crush this boy if he wanted to.

Does he want to? It'd be so easy, from here. How far can Zeno be pushed until his resolve weakens? How much can his powers regenerate him? Could Shin-Ah destroy him before his powers even have the time to activate?

Maybe then, he could wipe off that annoying, confident smile Zeno always wore. See him despair a little.

Shin-Ah doesn't know when was it that he'd paralyzed Zeno's legs, but it doesn't matter. If he becomes unable to breathe, surely he'll start to struggle a little? So, he concentrates so that the lungs he's staring at will breathe slower and slower, until they come to a complete stop.

Zeno is still smiling.

Why won't he stop smiling? He should be scared. He should be, like everyone else Shin-Ah's devoured before. Like Shin-Ah had been, when he lost control. He had no right to be so bright, so warm, even at death's door like this. Food that doesn't struggle isn't quite as fun to devour...

When he gets tired of playing with his food, he goes straight for the kill. Zeno's heart looks so small, but so tough... Would he succumb to fear then? Or was his resolve already strong enough from living through so many hardships that he wouldn't even mind?

Shin-Ah doesn't quite have the time to find his answer, as Zeno's body topples over, face-down on the dirt. Seeing nothing else to munch on, his own body seizes up as well.

The adrenaline draining from his body, he looks up at Zeno _stiff_ against the ground. He's not breathing, his body isn't becoming covered with scales. He's lying still and the color is draining from his face as his blood stops flowing.

Oh no.

 _What have you done? What did you do!? You have to help him,_ Shin-Ah's conscience yells at him, in a voice that sounds a suspicious lot like Yona's. But there's nothing he can do, he got himself stuck into his own body, helpless even as tears start forming at the corners of his eyes.

This was a bad idea. This had been a bad idea from the start and he should have never listened to Zeno. He couldn't have known just how badly the dragon's eyes would damage him. All before his dragon blood even had a chance to react...

No, by the time Shin-Ah's body regains movement, Zeno's will recover too, right? He has to. He's Ouryuu.

But when he does get up again, Zeno is still down, lifeless, _cold_.

This is worse than bad. This is a straight up disaster. How was he going to explain this? Their mission wasn't done and Zeno was gone. He killed Zeno. He would never eat twice a normal person's servings again, or cheer everyone up when the situation was dire, or share his age-old wisdom when advice was needed, or play with Ao when the little critter was agitated, or steal Shin-Ah's fluff just because he liked it.

Shin-Ah didn't find it within himself to do anything other than cry soundlessly.

(When Jae-Ha finally goes looking for them, since they were taking so long to come back, Shin-Ah is asleep next to Zeno, his mask tossed to the side. His closed eyes are swollen and reddish and he has to fight the urge to look at what's under his eyelids.

Zeno doesn't look too good, either; in fact it looks like he hasn't moved in a while. His body's covered in scales, but it doesn't look like he was in any sort of struggle.

Jae-Ha figures he'll have to ask what happened later. Right now, they look like they could do with some rest.)

 

When he wakes, he feels numb. His mind is sluggish and he can't think straight. His body feels heavy, his heart feels strange, and his right arm is still asleep. It looks like the sun has already set, and he can smell food - Yoon is probably preparing dinner. At least he thinks he has his mask on, so that's one less thing to worry about.

He starts to remember the events of the afternoon - Zeno, his powers, his lack of control - and he feels his chest tighten, but despite how much they warm up, his eyes are sore and dry. He has no more tears to cry.

Then he feels something warm shift against him. His brain fog lifts at a painfully slow pace, then he notices a weight on top of his arm and chest. He feels the soft rising and falling of someone's chest, he hears quiet and peaceful breathing, and sees a bright blond mane awfully close to his face; the head it belongs to resting quietly on his shoulder.

He jumps, lifting his own body just a little. How is this possible? How can Zeno be there, be _here_ , sleeping sound against him? He remembers torturing him, killing him, playing with his body even as his heart stopped; yet here he was, like none of that happened, clinging to Shin-Ah, trying to keep his balance after his "pillow" moved on its own.

Zeno can't hang on to Shin-Ah's halfway lifted torso and slides off him. Soon his eyelids flutter open.

"Seiryuu is... awake?"

Shin-Ah doesn't answer at first. He's too puzzled, too scared - Why are you alive? Why are you talking to me? Why don't you hate me? - but Zeno doesn't seem to mind the silence.

Instead, he lets his lips curve into a small, yet warm smile. "Good... Zeno was worried when he recovered and Seiryuu was out cold next to him." He brushes some stray hair off his face before continuing. "Ah... Zeno didn't mean to push him so hard. Can Seiryuu forgive him...?" He rubs his head against Shin-Ah's arm. And despite his calm expression, his voice is tiny and wavering.

This is all wrong. Why was Zeno apologizing? _He_ was the one who needed to do that. Zeno had given himself to him, yet he still hurt him.

Shin-Ah didn't notice his own muscles stiffening, lips pursing and shifting into a scowl, until Zeno's hand came in contact with his cheek.

"No, Seiryuu shouldn't be mad at himself! Zeno knew this could happen, he was prepared. But he shouldn't have left Seiryuu all alone and in the dark." He retracted his hand - earning a strange little wince from Shin-Ah, _please don't leave_ \- and arched his eyebrows in an expression of...

Sadness? Pity? Shin-Ah wasn't good at figuring out language that wasn't verbal, yet. Maybe... something like fondness?

After a stretch of silence that seemed to last forever, Shin-Ah finally brings himself to have any input, though it's just a nod, and an almost imperceptible hum. Even just that seems to please Zeno, who lets out his own hum and smiles bright at him.

He doesn't deserve this. None of this. "I'm..." Shin-Ah starts, pauses, thinks of a thousand different things to say.

Do you hate me? Are you hurt? Do you want me to leave? Do you still trust me?

"... Sorry." What came out was none of those things.

"This isn't Seiryuu's fault, though!" Zeno pouts in an almost comical way. Shin-Ah thinks that makes him look like a small animal, like a rabbit... or a squirrel... "It was Zeno's fault. He pushed Seiryuu into a situation he wasn't ready for. And!" He cuts Shin-Ah's forming sentence before he has the chance to argue. "Zeno said it before. Ouryuu can't die. Not even to Seiryuu! He's tried before. So don't be afraid."

Shin-Ah mulls it over his head. To him, that wasn't the problem. Even if Zeno is indestructible, Shin-Ah should have been able to control it, using his powers on a friend. He couldn't do it with Yona, so why was he even able to entertain the thought of crushing Zeno under his hands...?

"Zeno's gonna stop Seiryuu's train of thought right now. He doesn't really want any special treatment, so it's nice of Seiryuu to think of him as any other person. That he even thought he could kill Zeno..." (It's flattering in a way, Zeno thinks.) "So Seiryuu is forgiven. Zeno hopes he is, too?"

Shin-Ah decides that although he has a hard time understanding the other dragons, this one is the most confusing one of all. But even the fact that there still _is_ a Zeno to try to understand... feels like a miracle, to be honest.

So he accepts defeat, and Zeno seems to get the message, as he quickly relaxes and lies down again; curling down and pulling Shin-Ah closer to him. All Shin-Ah can think to do is lie down next to him and hope it's enough of an apology.

Looking at Zeno up close, though, he felt lighter, relaxed. Zeno was still alive. He was okay, he was _here_. He could still smile and brighten their days like he always did.

He's not sure when Zeno got close enough to rest his head at the crook of Shin-Ah's neck, or wrap his arms around his back. Still, how could he deny him this after all that's happened today?

He doesn't mind letting Zeno have things his way, at least this once.

(When Jae-Ha returns to the tent and sees the two dragons all snuggled up, he immediately feels relieved. He was gonna have a _field day_ with this in the morning. For now, though, he was content with just putting a blanket on top of them and walking back out.)


End file.
